Picket fence



Nov. 16, 1965 s. s. KOZUB 3,218,036

PICKET FENCE Filed Jan. 3. 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Stanley .5. Kozub 1N VENTOR.

S. S. KOZUB PICKET FENCE Nov. 16, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 3. 1962 Sim/av E. Kazub ZNVENTOR.

Attorurjs 3,218,036 PICKET FENCE Stanley S. Kozub, W. Maple Ave., Rte. 2, Geneva, Ohio Filed Jan. 3, 1962, Ser. No. 164,004 2 Claims. (Cl. 256-22) This invention relates to a novel and useful picket fence construction and more specifically to a picket fence construction whose top and bottom horizontal rails and pickets may be formed of solid members or tubular members and posts may be formed of tubular members and of any desired material such as aluminum.

The picket fence construction of the instant invention has been primarily designed for erection by do-it-yourself enthusiasts and has features incorporated therein which will subsequently hereinafter become apparent which enable the supporting post members thereof to be leveled vertically relative to the fence sections disposed therebetween after the picket fence has been erected.

The main object of this invention is to provide a picket fence construction which will be capable of being readily erected by unskilled persons.

A further object of this invention, in accordance with the immediately preceding object, is to provide a picket fence construction provided with foot members for supporting various suporting posts of the picket fence with the posts being constructed in a manner whereby the posts may be vertically adjusted to correspond to the adjacent horizontally disposed fence sections after the picket fence has been erected.

A further object of this invention is to provide a picket fence construction which may be readily erected with a minimum number of tools.

Another object of this invention is to provide a picket fence construction having top and bottom rail members which each may be constructed of a plurality of end abutting rail sections and constructed in a manner whereby the adjacent ends of rail sections may be clampingly secured together and about a post passing through the juncture of those rail sections.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a picket fence construction in accordance with the preceding objects which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to install so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and capable of being erected by unskilled workmen.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a picket fence constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged top plan view of the portion of the picket fence construction in FIGURE 1 through which the plane indicated by the section line 22 passes;

FIGURES 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 44 of FIGURE 3 but With the post shown in elevation;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of the assembly illustrated in FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 88 of FIGURE 1.

nited States ate:

Referring now more specifically to the drawings the numeral 10 generally designates the fence construction of the instant invention.

The fence construction 10 includes an upper rail generally referred to by the reference number 12 and a lower rail generally referred to by the reference numeral 14. It will be noted that each of the rails 12 and 14 is tubular and it is to be understood that the tubular rails 12 and 14 may be constructed of any suitable material such as aluminum and also from solid stock.

The rail 12 includes a plurality of rail sections 16, 18 and 20 and the rail 14 includes a plurality of rail sections 22 and 24.

From FIGURES 2 through 4 of the drawings it may be seen that the rail sections 16 and 18 are each provided with an endwise and laterally opening notch 26 defined by an extension 26 which is of a cross-sectional area equal to generally one-half the total cross-section of the corresponding rail section. The adjacent ends 27 and 29 of the rail sections 16 and 18 carried by the extension 26' are disposed in end abutting relation and the extensions or the unnotched portions 26' of the rail sections 16 and 18 are each received in the notch 26 formed in the other section.

Clamp means in the form of two pair of angle bracket members generally refered to by the reference numerals 28 are provided and each conforms to an extends approximately one-half the distance around the abutting end portions. From FIGURE 5 of the drawings it will be seen that each of the angle bracket members 28 includes a pair of angularly disposed leg portions 30 and 32 and that each leg portion 32 and each rail section includes an internally threaded and upwardly projecting and opening sleeve portion 34 while each leg 30 in cludes an aperture 36 which is aligned with a corresponding aperture or bore 38 formed in the corresponding rail section.

From FIGURE 2 of the drawings it may also be noted that the sleeve portion 34 of each leg 32 is received through a corresponding bore 40 formed in the corresponding rail section and that fasteners 42 are utilized to secure the bracket members 28 about the overlapped end portions in end-to-end relation with each other and with the midportions of bracket members defined by the juncture of the legs 30 and 32 of each overlying the corresponding longitudinally extending joints 44 of the overlapped rail sections 16 and 18. In addition, it will be noted that each of the rail sections 16 and 18 is provided with a pair of aligned recesses 46 and that corresponding recesses 46 open toward each other to define a passage 48 through the juncture of the rail sections 16 and 18 for receiving a support post generally referred to by the reference numeral 50. It is to be understood that the support posts 50 are each of tubular construction and that the recesses 46 formed in each of the rail sections 16 and 18 snugly receive the corresponding support post 50 and that the fasteners 42 and the bracket members 28 are utilized to clampingly secure the overlapped end portions of the rail sections 16 and 18 together and about the support post 50.

From FIGURE 1 of the drawings it will also be noted that each of the rail sections 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24 has a plurality of passages 54 formed therethrough and spaced longitudinally there along similar to passages 48 for the reception of pickets 52. These passages 54 may merely be formed by a pair of registered openings formed in each rail section at a plurality of points spaced longitudinally along each rail section.

With attention now directed to FIGURE 6 of the drawings it will be seen that at least some of the pickets 52 are provided with a bottom wall 102 and it will be noted that an adjustable foot assembly generally referred to by 3 the reference numeral 104 is secured to the bottom Wall 102 by means of a mounting bracket.

A more simplified stake-type footing member may be utilized in place of footing member 114.

It will be noted that each reach of the fence construction has constant size upper and lower horizontally disposed rails and constant size pickets. In addition, if the pickets are constructed of aluminum, the foot assemblies 104 may be eliminated as the spans between support and corner posts will not be of such great length so as to necessitate the use of the foot assemblies 104 which are helpful when the pickets are formed of wood and each span or fenc section is considerably heavier than if its pickets were formed of aluminum tubular members. Still further, the pickets 52 may be secured to a rail section such as section 24 by means of suitable fasteners 124, such as screws or nails.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitably modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A picket fence construction comprising a pair of vertically spaced and parallel top and bottom rails, a plurality of vertically disposed pickets secured through and between said rails, said rails each being tubular and generally symmetrical in cross-section, at least one of said rails comprising a pair of end aligned rail sections, adjacent ends of said rail sections each having an extension defining an endwise and laterally opening, said bracket members opening toward each other, each notch of a cross-sectional area equal to generally one-half the total cross-section of the corresponding rail section, clamp means rigidly securing said extensions in end-overlap ping relation with each extension snugly received in the notch formed in the other rail section and said extensions urged laterally into frictional engagement with each other, at least one of said extensions having a recess formed therein opening toward the other extension and defining a passage extending transversely of said sections between said extensions, a post snugly received in and extending through said passage providing internal bracing between said extensions for said clamp means to act upon, said clamp means including a pair of bracket members each conforming to and extending approximately one-half the distance around said overlapped extensions, means securing said bracket members about said overlapped extensions with said bracket members overlying the corresponding transversely extending joints of said overlapped rail sections defined by said notches and said extensions, bracket member and the underlying portion of one of the tubular rail sections having aligned openings formed therethrough, and the portion of one rail section diametrically opposite said openings includes means defining an inwardly opening threaded bore, said means securing said bracket members about said overlapped extensions comprising a threaded fastener passed through each set of said openings and threadedly engaged in the corresponding bore.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein each of said bracket members and the underlying portion of the other of said rail sections have aligned openings formed therethrough and the portion of said other tubular member diametrically opposite the last-mentioned openings includes means defining an inwardly opening threaded bore, said means securing said bracket members about said overlapped extensions also comprising a threaded fastener passed through each set of the last-mentioned openings and threadedly engaged in the corresponding bore.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 626,733 6/1899 Stewart et al. 256-65 763,202 6/1904 Pence 256-22 1,272,131 7/1918 Silberg 287-103 X 1,643,555 9/ 1927 Gledhill 256-13.1 1,656,024 1/1928 Stewart 256-65 1,705,979 3/1929 Kingston 287-103 1,985,322 12/1934 La Clair 256-22 2,242,427 5/1941 Heanue 256-65 2,348,012 5/1944 Levi 256-25 2,449,056 9/1948 Clark 182-178 2,584,690 2/ 1952 Funck 256-24 ARNOLD RUEGG, Examiner.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A PICKET FENCE CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING A PAIR OF VERTICALLY SPACED AND PARALLEL TOP AND BOTTOM RAILS, A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY DISPOSED PICKETS SECURED THROUGH AND BETWEEN SAID RAILS, SAID RAILS EACH BEING TUBULAR AND GENERALLY SYMMETRICAL IN CROSS-SECTION, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID RAILS COMPRISING A PAIR OF END ALIGNED RAIL SECTIONS, ADJACENT ENDS OF SAID RAIL SECTIONS EACH HAVING AN EXTENSION DEFINING AN ENDWISE AND LATERALLY OPENING, SAID BRACKET MEMBERS OPENING TOWARD EACH OTHER, EACH NOTCH OF A CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA EQUAL TO GENERALLY ONE-HALF THE TOTAL CROSS-SECTION OF THE CORRESPONDING RAIL SECTION, CLAMP MEANS RIGIDLY SECURING SAID EXTENSION IN END-OVERLAPPING RELATION WITH EACH EXTENSION SNUGLY RECEIVED IN THE NOTCH FORMED IN THE OTHER RAIL SECTION AND SAID EXTENSIONS URGED LATERALLY INTO FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH EACH OTHER, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID EXTENSIONS HAVING A RECESS FORMED THEREIN OPENING TOWARD THE OTHER EXTENSION AND DEFINING A PASSAGE EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID SECTIONS BETWEEN SAID EXTENSIONS, A POST SNUGLY RECEIVED IN AND EXTENDING THROUGH SAID PASSAGE PROVIDING INTERNAL BRACING BETWEEN SAID EXTENSIONS FOR SAID CLAMP MEANS TO ACT UPON, SAID CLAMP MEANS INCLUDING A PAIR OF BRACKET MEMBERS EACH CONFORMING TO AND EXTENDING APPROXIMATELY ONE-HALF THE DISTANCE AROUND SAID OVERLAPPED EXTENSIONS, MEANS SECURING SAID BRACKET MEMBERS ABOUT SAID OVERLAPPED EXTENSIONS WITH SAID BRACKET MEMBERS OVERLYING THE CORRESPONDING TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING JOINTS OF SAID OVERLAPED RAIL SECTIONS DEFINED BY SAID NOTCHES AND SAID EXTENSIONS, BRACKET MEMBER AND THE UNDERLYING PORTION OF ONE OF THE TUBULAR RAIL SECTIONS HAVING ALIGNED OPENINGS FORMED THERETHROUGH, AND THE PORTION OF ONE RAIL SECTION DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE SAID OPENINGS INCLUDES MEANS DEFINING AN INWARDLY OPENING THREADED BORE, SAID MEANS SECURING SAID BRACKET MEMBERS ABOUT SAID OVERLAPPED EXTENSIONS COMPRISING A THREADED FASTENER PASSED THROUGH EACH SET OF SAID OPENING AND THREADEDLY ENGAGED THE CORRESPONDING BORE. 